Pump



P 1937- J.IA. ARMITAGE 2,078,435

PUMP

Filed April 20, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 1937- J. A. ARMITAGE 2,078,435

PUMP

Filed April 20, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet 2 gt, I r 5 5 an, I an; V 4 C O fl, I

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Patented Apr. 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE PUMP James A. Armitage, Houston, Tex.

Application April 20, 1934, Serial No. 721,520

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a pump and has particular relation to that type oi pump whereby liquid may be elevated bythe application of motive fluid,v under pressure thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide a pump specially adapted for use in wells, and similar, places, and by the use of which an operating fluid, under pressure may be applied to the liquid being elevated simultaneously in stages at spaced 1o intervals from the point of intake to the point of discharge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump embodying series of eduction tubes, having collecting chambers incorporated therein and spaced apart the required distance, and pressure lines for delivering'an operating fluid, under pressure, to said chambers and in such concert that the pumped liquid will be elevated in stages, or

loads, from chamber to chamber.

A further object is to provide, in .a pump, a novel type of collecting chamber for receiving the pumped liquid from beneath and entrapping the same, each chamber being provided with a float,

forming a separator to excludethe operating fluid from the eduction tubes and to exclude the pumped liquid from the pressure lines.

A still further object'is to provide a pumpembodying' series of eduction tubes, collecting chambers incorporated the'rein,and fluid pres sure lines arranged to apply an operating fluid under pressure to, and to relieve the fluid presvsure from, said chambers in such concert that the pumped liquid will be elevated in isolated load or stages, and the operating fluid will be app being elevated.

The invention also comprehends a novel method of elevating liquid.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and .arrangeinto a common channel l4.

simultaneously, to the stages, or loads,

line 66 of Figure 7.

Figure '7 shows a vertical sectional view of the lower end of the pump.

' Figure 8 shows a side elevation of an inter- -5 mediate portion of the pump, shown partly in section, and Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic view.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numerals 10 l, l designate the respective series of eduction tubes which are arranged alongside and which extend down into the well. These tubes connect, at their upper ends, into the U-connection 2 from which leads the discharge line 3. 15

For supplying operating fluid, under pressure, the lines 4, 4' are provided which lead down into the well alongside the eduction tubes.

Incorporated into these lines 4, 4 are the three way control valve mechanisms 5, 5 shown in 20 detail in Figure 4.

Each control valve mechanism comprises a casing 6 having a rotary valve 7 therein, said valves having the stems 8, 8. There are the pressure supply and the relief lines 9, 9. The pressure 25 supply line has the branches I0, I 0 leading therefrom into the corresponding valve casings, and leading from said valve casings are the relief branches II, II' which enter the relief line 9. 1

Each valve 1 has the cross channels l2, I3 30 therethrough which merge, as shown in Figure 4, I This channel I4 is in constant communication with the corresponding pressure line 4, or 4. While the valve is in 7 nel l3 communicates with the relief branch II or 1 I and the channel 12 is closed. It is to be noted that the channels l2, I3 of the valve mechanisms 5, 5' are reversed, that is, while the supply line 9 is incommunication with one of the pressure lines it is closed to the other pressure line and said other pressure line is in communication with said relief line 9, and vice versa. 4'

The valve stems 8, 8' have the shift arms I5, I 5' fixed thereto and pivotally connected to these arms is the shaft bar IS. A shift lever I1 is pivoted at an intermediate point to a suitable support and one end of this lever is pivoted to the shift bar IS. The other end of the lever H has a slidable pivotal connection with one end of a push bar l8, which is slidable in the bearing l9 and the other end of the push barhas a roller 20 thereon. A cam wheel 2| is mounted to rotate and is driven from a suitable power. This wheel has the spaced cams 22 thereon which successively contact with the roller and impart successive thrusts to the push bar l8 and to the shift bar I6 in one direction in an obvious manner. A pull spring 23 is attached at one end to a fixed anchor and at its other end to the bar Hi. This spring acts to impart successive thrusts to the bar IS in the other direction, all to the end that the valve I will be shifted back and forth to apply pressure to one pressure line and to simultaneously relieve the pressure from the other pressure line; and also provision may be made to create a suction to each line when so relieved. It is to be understood that any type of valves, for control ling said pressure lines, suitable for the purpose may be used, and any type of controlling mechanism suitable for shifting said valves may be employed, the particular types shown being for the purpose of illustration.

. At the lower ends of the lower eduction tubes of the series there are the inlet chambers 24, 24'

which are enclosed by complemental casings 25, 25 suitably anchored together as a unit. These chambers will be submerged in the liquid to be pumped from the well or reservoir. The chambers have the inlets 26, 26' which are shielded by the screens 21, 21' and are controlled by the inwardly opening flap valves 28, 28. It is to be understood that the castings and chambers therein and the means for controlling the inflow chambers 30, 30', into which the corresponding pressure lines 4', 4, respectively, are connected, and also having the discharge passageways 3|, 3|.

Beneath the collecting chambers and controlling the corresponding series of eduction tubes are the upwardly opening valves, as 32, and controlling the inlet of liquid into the respective discharge passageways are the upwardly opening valves, as 33. In each collecting chamber there is a float, as 34, and leading out from the side of each collecting chamber at its lower end and into the corresponding discharge passageway there is a by-pass channel 35. The pumped liquid entering a collecting chamber will elevate the corresponding float, while the pressure thereabove is relieved; and upon the application of the operating fluid, under pressure, to said liquid in said chamber the liquid will be driven'downwardly, the valve 32 beneath closing and the liquid beneath the float will be forced out through the channel up past the valve 33 and on up the corresponding eduction tube. In its upper position the float will close the inlet opening 35 of the corresponding chamber to prevent the passage of pumped liquid into the corresponding pressure line, and in its lower position, the float will be forced over closely against, and will block, the inlet end of the by-pass 35 and prevent the operating fluid from entering the corresponding eduction tube.

It will be observed that there are the two series of collecting chambers, those of one series being designated by the numerals 30 and those of the other series being designated by the numerals 30'. Any desired number of elevating units 29 containing these chambers may be employed and they may be spaced any selected distance apart, all in accordance with the requirements of the situation.

The pressure line 4 is connected into the collecting chambers 30, through the-ports, as 36, thereof and above the respective floats and the pressure line 4 is similarly connected into the chambers 30.

As the pump is assembled and let down into the well one series of collecting chambers, as 30, may be primed, that is may be fllled with liquid, the floats rising to the top of the chambers. The pump islowered a sufficient distance, at least, to submerge the inlet chambers 24, 24' and the lower collecting chambers. The operating fluid under pressure, may then be applied to the floats of said chambers 31!, through the pressure line 4', and simultaneously the line 4 will be relieved, or a suction created through it by any suitable source of suction-connected with the relief line 9'.

The liquid in chambers 30 will be thereby expelled therefrom, as before, into the chambers 30 above.

During the. normal operation of the pump the series of collecting chambers 30, 30 will be alternately filled and emptied. As a series of said chambers is emptied the liquid in the top chamber will be discharged out through the discharge line 3 and thebottom chamber of the emptied series will fill, by gravity, from the well. The loads from a series, as emptied, will be also elevated, or advanced, by stages or steps from the point of intake to the point of discharge. It is to be noted that operating fluid is at all times excluded from the producing formation.

The pump may be lowered into the well and located at any desired point therein by means of the cable 31 which is connected to be manipulated by any means at the ground surface suitable for the purpose. As will be noted by an inspection of Figures 7 and 8, the ports 36 of each series of collection chambers are enlarged downwardly, that is, the port of one chamber is slightly larger than the port of the next succeeding chamber above, so that when the operating fluid is applied the pressure exerted on the liquid in a series of chambers will be exerted approximately simultaneously and equally from the upper to the lower chamber, to the end that the fluid will be discharged from all of the chambers of the series at the same time.

A preferred form of the construction and the principle of operation have been disclosed by way of illustration only, but it is obvious that various mechanical changes may be made without departing from the principle of the invention and I reserve 'the right to make such changes within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for elevating liquid comprising two series of liquid entrapping means adapted to be located in a well each having a chamber, said chambers having ports the entrapplng means 01' the respective series being spaced apart one above the other, conduits connecting the chambers of each series with chambers of the other series at higher elevationsthe port of each chamber beseries of chambers simultaneously to effect such elevation of theliquid, and means for preventing the back flow of the liquid being pumped.

2. Apparatusfor elevating liquid from a reservoir to a higher level comprising intake means adapted to be submerged in the liquid of the reservoir and having chambers, series of collectors arranged one above the other and having collecting chambers, and a discharge outlet, the

lower chambers of the series being connected into the intake chambers, means through which the liquid in the collecting chambers may be simultaneously elevated in separate loads from the collecting chambers of one series to the collecting chambers of the other series, in alternate succession, from intake to discharge, and means including floats for simultaneously applying an operating fluid, under equal pressures to the liquid in the chambers of one series and relieving said pressure from the chambers of the other series, in alternate succession to effect the elevation of the liquid said chambers having ports, the ports of'one chamber being larger than the ports of the next succeeding chamber above.

3. Apparatus for elevating liquid from a well comprising series of entrapping means, the entrapping means of each series being spaced apart 'one above the other and formed to entrap loads of liquid, said apparatus having a discharge outlet and two series of conduits through which the entrapped loads may be elevated from the entrapping means of one series to the entrapping means of the other series, alternatively.

4. Apparatus for elevating liquid from a well comprising series of entrapping means, the entrapping means of eachseries being spaced apart one above the other and formed to entrap loads of liquid, said apparatus having a discharge outlet and two series of conduits through which the entrapped loads may be elevated from the entrapping means of one series to the entrapping means of the other series, alternatively, and

means preventing the back flow or liquid through said conduits.

5. Apparatus for elevating liquid from a well comprising series of entrapping means, the en: trapping means of each series being spaced apart one above the other and formed to entrap loads of liquid, said apparatus having a discharge outlet and two series of eduction conduits through which the entrapped loads may be elevated from I the entrapping means of one series to the entrapping means of the other series, alternatively, means through which an operating fluid may be applied, under pressure, to the entrapped liquid of one series and simultaneously relieved from the entrapped liquid of the other series in alternative succession.

6. In apparatus shaped to be inserted in a well and adapted to elevate liquid, a liquid entrapping means having a collecting chamber provided with an inlet and a side outlet, 9. back pressure valve controlling the inlet, 'an eduction tube leading from the outlet, means preventing the back flow of the liquid in the tube, said apparatus having a conduit for operating fluid entering the chamber above the entrapped load and a float in the chamber excluding the pumped liquid from said conduit and also movable under pressure to exclude the operating fluid from the eduction tube.

7. In apparatus of the character described shaped to be inserted into a well and adapted to elevate liquid, a liquid entrapping means having a collecting chamber provided with an inlet and a side outlet, a. back. pressure valve controlling the inlet, an eduction tube leading from the'outlet, means preventing the back flow of the liquid in the tube, said apparatus having a conduit for operating-fluid entering the chamber above the entrapped load and a float fitted in the chamber and arranged to be forced downwardly by the operating fluid against the entrapped load to-expel said load, and upon the expulsion of the load being movable under the 

